Our Veggie Kitchen

Veganmofo ends today, and this is my twentieth post for the month. I made it, sigh! I used to make this dish with chicken when I wanted an Asian dish that looked really nice. I used fried tofu and, once again, made something that looks and tastes great. Toast the almonds yourself and you'll have nailed three of the five senses. I served it over rice with miso/noodle soup.



Almond Tofu Stir Fry
1/3 cup whole almonds
2 tbs vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 lb tofu, drained & cubed
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs ginger, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
3/4 cup vegetable stock
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tbs sherry
1 lb bok choy
2 medium carrots

These steps can all be done concurrently.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and toast for 5 or 5 minutes.
• Toss the tofu cubes with the garlic, ginger and pepper flakes, set aside for about 15 minutes.
• Remove the Bok Choy greens from the stalks. Roughly chop the greens and dice the stalks. Peel the carrots and thinly slice them on the diagonal.

Heat vegetable oil in a saute pan over medium-high (I don't use a wok, but you could). Toss the tofu mixture with cornstarch. Add the tofu to the pan and fry, turning the tofu as each side browns. When the tofu is finished, remove and set aside. Whisk the broth, soy sauce and sherry into the bowl with the cornstarch mixture that didn't cling to the tofu and set aside.

Add the sesame oil to the pan, along with the bok choy stalks and carrots. Stir fry until the veggies are crisp-tender, just a couple of minutes. Stir in the greens and cook until they begin to wilt. Add the tofu and liquid (whisk a gain for good measure) and cook, just until the sauce thickens. Sever over rice.

4 Servings: 237 cal (17g fat, 10g carbs, 11g protein)

This post marks a milestone and a couple of almosts. I almost have 20 posts for this Vegan Month of Food. I almost added a nifty label cloud today. Instead I whipped the template code into a frothy, pudding soaked glarg... but that's another story.

I've been at it for a little over three months now, and this is my 50th post (and there was much rejoicing). I've cleaned up some of my early posts, and now have a totally vegan blog. I figured out how to make a good tofu scramble, brought back some good old comfort food, and I've made some delicious food that screams "There's no way thats vegan!"

And today, I have potato salad. I used red potatoes, haphazardly pealed, the skins add some color, and some purple onion, celery and pickles for texture and mixed in a dressing of veganaise, mustard, a little vinegar and soy creamer. I omitted salt, then shook it on later, I'm guessing I added 1/4 tsp, but you can add more, if necessary. I garnished it with thyme leaves and, in the future, I'll do the same. I like thyme.



Potato Salad
3 lbs red potatoes
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/4 dill pickle, chopped
Dressing:
1/2 cup veganaise
1/4 cup soy creamer
2 tbs white wine vinegar
1 tbs Dijon mustard
1 tbs prepared yellow mustard
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 tbs thyme leaves, chopped
1/2 tsp ground celery seed
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Boil the potatoes until you can press the tip of a knife through with some resistance. Drain, submerge in cold water and cool until they can be handled. Roughly peel, then cube the potatoes. I just tore off the skin that came off easily so, maybe half of the skin remained. Gently stir in the onion, celery and pickle.

Mix the remaining (dressing) ingredients and gently fold into the potatoes, stirring to distribute the dressing. Refrigerate until needed. They were better the next day, so give the flavors some time to blend.

6 servings: 294 cal (10g fat, 47g carbs, 5g protein)

My birthday is this Sunday.

Growing up, my mommy would would make me a lasagna. Later in life, it was a day that I could make whatever I want . . . whether my picky poops like it or not. This year, it's on a weekend, which means I have no time constraints. I truly can make whatever I want. I've got some ideas and I've created a poll to see what you all think. So, please, vote in my poll and I'll make it on Sunday.

Here's a list of options that I've considered:

• Lasagna - I had one every year growing up, why fight tradition.
• Indian Feast - I've got all the time in the world and the kids can have mac & cheese =)
• Calzones - Everyone makes their own. Everyone's happy.
• Tamales - I've never made them. I'm a chicken - bwak bwak.
• Other - Please comment.

Again, vote early and vote often. Thanks.

I made these muffins a couple days ago, along with pumpkin chili. I love breaking up a fresh corn muffin into my chili and, like a salty potato chip, you can't eat just one. You gotta have another split and slathered with margarine. What a treat.

Last time I made these, I had troubles with them crumbling. I increased the cornmeal and soy milk by 1/4 cup each and it made for a denser muffin. In reality, I think its more important to add the ground flax properly. Feel free to decrease the cornmeal and soy milk by 1/4 cup each. They're good either way.



4 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup agave nectar
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tbs baking powder
1 1/4 cup soy milk
1 cup frozen corn kernels
2 tbs ground flax, 6 tbs water

In a large bowl, cream together the margarine and sugar. Beat in the agave nectar, and milk. Mix together the flour, cornmeal, salt and baking powder, then mix into the wet ingredients. Stir until the batter is smooth. Fold in corn and set aside.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). While the oven preheats, bring 6 tbs water to a boil and stir in the ground flax. Stir constantly for 2-3 minutes, until the flax takes on an egg-like consistency. Fold into the dough. Spoon into 12 muffin cups. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops of muffins are lightly browned.

12 servings: 194 cal (5g fat, 34g carbs, 4g protein)

I haven't been keeping up too well this week. My laptop crashed on Saturday and I spent Sunday (my normal cook/prep day) working on computer [expletive]. But I did get make some wonderful meals inspired by some of the many great bloggers out there. But before I get to that, I'm going to rant.

I bought an ASUS laptop almost two years ago. This weekend I plugged it into a wall socket that has a tendancy to spark. Needless to say, I fried my motherboard. It was my fault for being a dumbass. I called ASUS and they gave me an RMA and said they'd fix it. They even said they'd fix the hard drive that died when i tripped over the laptop while running for a beer between commercials during March Madness. I shipped my computer on Monday and I got it back on Thursday. Four days! including shipping! for something that I BROKE! AMAZING!

My assistant needed a new computer anyway, so I decided to buy a computer that I could use while mine was RMA land, then pass it on. I bought an HP at circuit city. I went against my better judgement, I've had a long history or receiving poor support form Compaq and HP and bought another. It was a lemon. The Network adaptor only works intermittently. I insisted it was a hardware issue. Linksys insisted it was a hardware issue. My brother, the network administator insisted it was a hardware issue.

Circuit City plugged it in saw that it worked and blamed my network. I told them all the things I've checked, including swapping network hardware, and messing with DHCP settings, checking client tables, etc. They said "It works here, there's nothing wrong." Did they not hear INTERMITTENT?? Did they not hear that I have some knowledge and that I talk to experts?? Oh, did I mention that I spent 90 minutes on hold with HP tech support and never got through!

So I am boxing up the computer and return it to Circuit City, being as assertive as I know how. If they refuse to return it, I will leave it in thier care and sick VISA on them. I've learned my lesson. And my word of advise: Dont' by a HP Desktop. Again, DON'T BUY HP! DON'T BUY HP! DO NOT BUY AN HEWLETT-PACKARD DESKTOP COMPUTER.

---------------

Now that that's off my chest, I did take some photos of some pretty decent meals. None are my own creation, but things that looked good (and tasted good) out there in the ether.

Monday night, I was oging to make some split pea burgers, but they take a while to simmer, so I went for an easier aternative. I made Veganomicon's Black Bean Burgers. They were a bit bland, but had a nice meaty bite and, with good rolls, and chunks of avocado, cilantro and tomato, they really hit the spot. The roasted red potatoes with White Basil Sauce were a perfect addition.




I'd planned on making Tofu Mom's Vegan Pesto and that came on Wednesday. Knowing that I had no time to cook, I whipped the pesto ahead of time and had dinner on the table in 20 minutes. The only thing I do differently, is that I hold out half the basil leaves and hand mince them. Blend everything else with a little water, then mix in the rest of the basil. I add miso sometimes too. It is really good. I served it with bread and a spinach salad drizzled with yummy sauce.



Last night, I tried something that looded and sounded really good, and it did taste really good. So here is Omadsa's Pumplin Chili. I followed the recipe verbatim (except I was out of kidney beans so I used pinto), adding 1/4 tsp pepper and 3/4 tsp salt. I tested the sauce and was determined that it deeded something else. Turns out, it needed beans. Once I had a spoonful of everything I was sold. It's even better the next day. Great job Omadsa!



Well that's about it today. I did finish the modificaitions to my vegan cornbread muffins. Finally, they held toghether and tasted good all at the same time. I'll post them shortly.

The best thing about Thanksgiving is the stuffing. It always has been, always will be. Last year, I made mushroom stuffing with chantrel, shitake and cremini mushrooms and stuffed it into small pumpkins. Earlier this year, I veganized my mom's Italian Sausage Stuffing (a personal favorite). This year, in a kind of seat-of-my pants manner, I cobbled together a squash stuffing.

OK, I had enough forsight to buy some pumpkin ale, but, really, I just bought some stuff that I thought would go well together. I had an acorn squash, and added some zucchini, fresh spinach and, of coarse, good quality stuffing cubes. I still have oregano and thyme in the garden and oregano goes so well with squash, it was a natural fit. Next time I will use a butternut or a pumpkin, something sweeter and more colorful. Aside from that, I was contented. It really captured the essence of Thanksgiving stuffing.



Squash Stuffing
4 Cups winter squash, diced
2 zucchini, quarered lenghtwise and chunked
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbs oregano, minced (or 1 tsp dried)
1 tsp thyme, minced (or 1/2 tsp dried)
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
8 oz spinach, chopped
12 oz pumpkin ale (or any beer or veggie stock)
1 cup vegetable stock
12 oz dried bread cubes

Saute the onion in vegetable oil until soft. Add garlic, oregano and thyme and stir. Saute for about a minute longer. Add the celery, squash, spinach, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the spinach wilts. Stir in zucchini. In a separate bowl, pour ale and stock over the bread cubes and toss until the liquid is absorbed. Combine with the squash mixture and toss until thoroughly mixed.

Pour into a 9x13 casserole, pressing stuffing with a wooden spoon or spatula. Cover with tin foil and bake at 350 degrees for about an hour. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes.

8 Servings: 260 cal (4g fat, 49g carbs, 8g protein)

Long ago and far away, I made a bad batch of dal. Now, I'm a big fan of Indian food. I'm also a believer that if a dal looks apetizing, It's not ma..de right. This just wasn't right. It was horrible and, of coarse, It couldn't be my cooking. It must be that I don't like lentils. I convinced myself that they taste like dirt.

Since going veg, last year, I've started to rethink that hypothesis. After all, I love split peas and mung beans. Well, last week, I found Progresso Soups for 99 cents a can. I bought a a bunch of Split Pea --with bacon!!--agh what a waste, and one can of lentil soup. It was really good. I later found a can of Muir Glen Lentil Soup on sale. It had bits of carrot and spinach and I like it.

So I took the plunge and made my own. This is a fairly traditional, European lentil soup with a bit of carrot and lots of spinach, just enough to accent the lentils and add some color. I'm officially a lentil fan now. I'm even making Veganomicon Snobby Joes this week =)



Lentil Soup
1 lb lentils, picked through
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 quarts vegetable broth
1 tbs thyme, minced (1 tsp dried)
2 bay leaves
5 oz spinach (4 cups, chopped)
1/2 tbs white wine vinegar

Saute onions in vegetable oil until soft. Stir in the carrots, garlic and thyme. Saute for a minute longer and add the bay leaf, wine, vegetable broth and lentils. Bring to a boil and simmer until the lentils are tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and, with an immersion blender, blend until about half of the soup is blended. Add the spinach and simmer until wilted. Stir in the vinegar, and add salt or pepper to taste.

5 Servings: 393 cal (4g fat, 62g carbs, 28g protein)

There is a chain of vegetarian cafes, here in Eugene, called Cafe Yumm! They specialize in bean & rice bowls that they slather in an amazing sauce aptly named Yumm! sauce. It is a natural fit with beans and rice, and is also great as a veggie dip, as a substitute for mayo, on top of a potato, etc. It really is Yumm!

This recipe is a knock off of a restaurant knock off. If you like it, open a franchise. This place needs to be nation-wide.



Yummy Sauce
1/3 cup canola oil
1/3 cup almonds
1/4 Nutritional Yeast
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup chickpeas (scant)
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp curry powder

Combine all ingredient and blend. I use low sodium canned chickpeas. If you don't you may want to adjust the salt content. Makes about 2 cups.

16 servings: 73 cal (6g fat, 3g carbs, 2g protein)

I've been thinking about these for a while, now. With fall in full swing and the cold coming on, I figured now was the time.

I have a few comments about this recipe:

1. I have never made a cirlularly shaped flat bread, pie crust or pizza dough. The dough, here, is pretty forgiving. I ended up with a couple ovals, a rhombus and several ink blot shapes. They all turned out looking good.
2. I like the heartiness of the whole wheat crust, especially with the pot pie mix. If you replace some of the whole wheat flour with white, add some extra white flour, maybe 1/4 cup.
   
3. If you make six calzones, they are quite large. You may opt to make twelve smaller ones. I did some of each. In the future, I think I'll stick with the smaller ones. They should freeze well too. (I hope!)
4. Neither calzones nor pot pies are really 'recipe' foods. Change the recipe and play with what you have on hand or with what sounds good. A cup of goo (large) or half a cup of goo (small) are good guidelines.
   

Veggie Pot Pockets

Filling:
3 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups broccoli, cut into small florets
2 cups mushrooms, sliced
1 can white beans, drained
1 cup frozen corn
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk
1 cup chicken flavored vegetable broth
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

Bread:
3 1/4 cup whole wheat flour (or a mix of white & wheat)
1 1/2 cup water
4 1/2 tsp active dry yeast (2 packets)
1 tbs olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 tbs agave nectar

Filling: Melt the margarine, then saute the onions, carrots and celery until the onion is soft. Stir in the the garlic, mushrooms and broccoli and continue until the broccoli just begins to soften. Stir in the flour and cook for a couple minutes, stirring constantly. Pour in the soy milk, broth, beans and corn. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, until the flour has fully incorporated into the sauce. Remove from heat and allow to cool, or refrigerate. It's easier to work with if it's cold. You should have about 6 cups of sauce.

Bread: Pour yeast into warm water, quickly whisk and set aside. Allow to proof for 5 minutes, until the yeast becomes frothy. Stir in the agave nectar and oil. In a separate bowl, mix the flour with the salt. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and stir until a dough is formed. Knead on a floured surface for about ten minutes. You know the dough is done when it attains an elsatic quality when you press your thumb into the dough. Or, in my case, when you bring it into the living room and your wife says it's done.

Place the dough into a oiled bowl, cover with a wet towel and allow to rise until it has doubled, about an hour. Tip it back onto the counter top, cut into six (or twelve) equal balls. Cover again and allow to rise a second time, maybe half an hour.

Assembly: Sprinkle some cornmeal onto the countertop. Take a ball of dough, and push it out with your fingers, flattening it until it resembles a circle, about half the final size. Roll it out with a rolling pin to a circular crust, about nine or ten inches (5 inches for small size). Put a cup (or half cup) filling in the center and fold the dough over, leaving a small lip between the top and bottom layers (see pic). Fold the bottom layer over the top and press the layers together with a fork. Bake the pockets on two cookie sheets at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, until the tops are crisp.

6 Servings: 531 cal (13g fat, 94g carbs, 24g protein)

With beef, pork, and veal; whole milk, butter and cheese; I can think of few things that are less vegan. Bolognese sauce was also one of my favorites. I made it a while back with minced portabella mushrooms instead of meat and it was good. I made it yesterday with seitan hamburger. It made me happy. The sauce makes for a delicious spaghetti and, for a potluck yesterday, I combined it with a rich bechamel and some tofu ricotta to veganize my latest challenge: Vegan Bolognese Lasagna.

I brought the lasagna and cooked at the pot luck, so I don't have a finished photo. The bolognese sauce looks good, though. I'm glad my wife can bake. The cupcakes were good, especially the frosting.




Bolognese Lasagna
12 strips dry lasagna noodles

Sauce:
1/2 oz dried porcini mushrooms
4 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1/2 onion, minced
1 stalk celery, minced
1 carrot, finely grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 links seitan hamburger, minced
1 1/2 cups unsweetened soy milk
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
28 oz can diced tomatoes
15 oz tomato sauce

Bechamel:
4 tbs Earth Balance Margarine
1/4 cup flour
4 cups unsweetened soy milk
1/2 tsp salt

Rocotta:
8 oz firm tofu, pressed
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbs miso

Sauce: Put dried mushrooms in a small bowl and, cover with water, then losely wrap the bowl with seran wrap. Microwave for about a minute, until the mushrooms are soft. Set aside. Melt margarine in a large sauce pan. Saute onions, celery and carrot until soft. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Add seitan and cook until warm. Add soy milk and boil until the liquid has been reduced, about 15 min. Add wine and boil again, until liquid has been reduced. There should be very little liquid in the pan and should be incorporated into the mince. Squeeze the excess liquid from the porcinis into the sauce. Mince the mushrooms and add them to the sauce, along with the reserved liquid. Add the tomatoes and sauce. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about half an hour. Set aside and allow to cool a bit.

Bechamel: Heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring often, until the mixture turns a light, golden hue, about 5 minutes. Slowly whisk in soy milk (preferrably room temperature). Allow to simmer, stirring frequently until no lumps remain and the sauce thickens a bit. Stir in salt and set aside. Allow to cool until a bit. Stir about 1/2 cup bechamel into the tomato sauce.

Ricotta: Crumble tofu into a bowl. Add remaining ingredients and, with your fingers, thoroghly mix.

Pasta: Just before you are ready to assemble, cook pasta in boiling water just until pliable. Drain and plunge into cold water.

Assembly: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spread a thin layer of tomato sauce on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. layer 1/3 of the noodles, then spread 1/3 tomato sauce, 1/2 tofu mix and 1/3 bechamel. Repeat. Top with a final layer of noodles, tomato sauce and bechamel. Cover and bake until the sauce is bubbling, about 30 minutes. Remove cover and bake an additional 15 minutes.

8 Servings: 551 cal (18g fat, 65g carbs, 26g protein)

And, for your viewing pleasure. Here's a pic of the birthday cupcake for a guy turning 38!

I'm actually ahead of schedule for my 20 blog commitment this month. I posted one thing that I wouldn't normally post yet (call it a work in progress) and another that that has quit a bit of tinkering still to do. Today, I'm shooting for pure plagiarism. I don't want to be creative. I don't want something new. I want Mac & Cheese damnit!

I made vegandad's Creamy Mac & Cheese. Its good. Its really good. To be fair, I've made such dramatic changes, I think I can claim it as my own. Don't strain your eyes while reading my lengthy list of modifications:

--Cut nutritional yeast back to 6 tbs
--Add broccoli (about 4 cups)



OK. I'm good. I've got a full belly and I'm one post closer to twenty.

I did some research on 'rusut' and here's what I found out: Nothing! It's probably Croatian in origin and I always thought it meant 'rice.' It isn't, at least as far as I can tell. I asked my dad and he said the same thing. At this point I'm thinking it's either a dialect or the product of a lazy tongue.

This is an old family dish. One of those ethnic things that you ate, but no one else on your block has even heard of it? Originally, it was just a down and dirty, meat and rice, weeknight dinner. I made it last night with some seitan and, well . . ., it didn't translate. The rice is just as I remember, and that's a good thing, but I'm going to keep trying on the 'meat.' It's not bad, just not great. I think, next time, I'll omit the seitan and stir in some beans.

On a side note, I'm headed up to Washington this afternoon to release my boy into the wild. His grandpa is meeting me half way, in Centralia. So dinner will be some restaurant in a small town that I don't know with an ultra-picky eater. I know I can find something in Olympia (kinda the beginnings of Puget Sound,) but that's an extra hour, round trip. I may just settle for the realistic expectation of fries and ketchup. Ug

(Actually, that sigh was so debilitating, I didn't have the energy for punctuation)



Rusut
2 tbs olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 oz mushrooms (optional)
3 links seitan hamburger, diced
OR 1 or 2 cans of beans OR omit (we'll see)
1/4 tsp each of nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon
1 tbs sugar
1 1/2 cups white rice
15 oz can tomato sauce
4 1/2 cups water

Saute the onion in olive oil until they begin to soften. Add the mushrooms and garlic, cooking until the mushrooms release their liquid. Add the diced seitan and spices and stir until the sietan is warm. Add the rice, tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the rice is done, about 20-25 minutes.

If you're using beans, stir them in at the end. The rice will cook them and they won't mush up.

5 Servings: 415 cal (8g fat, 66g carbs, 20g protein)

I used to make lo mein by tossing the noodles with the veggies, as best I could, then tossing them again and pretending that the veggies didn't separate from the noodles EVERY TIME YOU TOUCH THE PAN.

It was a pet peeve.

After too much needless fretting, I discovered a solution. Cut the veggies into matchsticks so they are noodle-like. This means you have to focus on veggies that you can matchstick, but that leaves plenty to chose from. I've included onions, carrots, shredded cabbage, and broccoli. Cut the florets small and they don't clump too bad. If my neurotic brain can deal with it, I'm sure you'll be fine. The other advantage is, now you can cook everything at once and you've got a start-to-finish meal in under 20 minutes.



Vegetable Lo Mein
12 oz soba noodles (watch for eggs)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 tbs ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, cut into matchsticks
2 medium carrots, cut into matchsticks
1/2 head cabbage, shredded
3 cups broccoli florets
1 cup beef flavored vegetable broth
3 tbs soy sauce
2 tbs dry sherry

While the pasta water is coming to a boil, heat oil in a separate pan. Saute garlic and ginger for about a minute, then toss with the other vegetables. Cover and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the vegetables are done.

When the pasta water is boiling, add the soba noodles. Cook just until they soften. Drain. If the vegetables are close proceed with the recipe, otherwise plunge into cold water and reserve until needed. When the vegetables are nearly done, add the broth, soy sauce, sherry and noodles. Bring to a boil and simmer until the noodles are finished cooking.

4 servings: 527 cal (7g fat, 107g carbs, 20g protein)

A while back, I doctored a corn sauce, I think from the Veganomicon. It tasted really good in a Mexi-Calzone. Ever since, my wife has been bugging me to make it into a soup. With fall upon us, and with more rain now than sun, I decided it was time to honor her request. This soup is loaded with corn and has just a touch of jalapeno and cumin. It's not at all hot, but adds just a bit of warmth.

It also turned out to be a great source of nearly everything (18% or more RDA): Dietary Fiber, Protein, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Iron, Thiamin, Niacin, Riboflavin, B6, Folate, B12, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Zinc, Copper and Magnesium.

. . . Next time someone asks what a vegan eats, tell them "corn soup"



Cumin Corn Chowder
3 tbs Earth Balance margarine
1 onion, chopped
3 jalapeno peppers, seeded & chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 lbs frozen corn, divided
12 oz silken tofu
2 cups vegetable broth
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1 1/2 tsp cumin (more to taste)
2 medium potatoes, diced
2 cups soy milk

Melt margarine in a large pot. Add onions, jalapenos, carrot, garlic and 4 cups of corn. Saute, stirring frequently until all the vegetables are cooked through. Transfer to a blender along with silken tofu, vegetable broth, nutritional yeast and cumin. Blend thoroughly in batches.

Push the blended contents through a mesh strainer back into the pan. This isn't necessary, but will strain out the corn fibers that don't blend. If you chose not to, you may have to add a little extra broth. Add remaining corn and potatoes to the pot. Bring to a boil and simmer until the potato is tender. Add soy milk, bring back to a simmer and remove from heat.

5 Servings: 375 cal (12g fat, 59g carbs, 16g protein)

I set out yesterday to make a masala sauce that was healthy and vegan. The tasty approach would be to substitute cream with coconut milk. The healthy approach would be to use silken tofu. I took the healthy path. I cut down on the margarine, add some ground cashews for creaminess and, of coarse, blended tofu I simmered some zucchini wedges in the sauce, which was a addition. It tasted OK, but lacking. I took a few pics, in case I decided to post an in-progress recipe. When I looked at the pics, my decision was quick. The Zucchini Masala looked more like a swampy red sludge with drifting logs of zucchini.

Instead, I present a pic that I rather like: Corny Cornbread Muffins.



These are a work in progress too. I took my favorite cornbread muffins and replaced the eggs with flax. They taste even better, but I need to play a bit more with the flax quantity. My notes also say add some nutritional yeast, but I've no idea why I'd do that.

I will post both of these one day soon . . . but not this day.

I could never tolerate much of Emeril Lagasse's show. Which is too bad, because he makes some tasty food. When I'm trolling for inspiration, I will frequently visit his corner of Food Network and emerge with something useful. This soup is the result of one such sojourn.



Cheezy Broccoli Soup
4 tbs Earth Balance margarine
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tbs thyme, minced (or 1/2 tsp dried)
6 cups vegetable broth
2 lbs broccoli, including stocks
Sauce:
1/4 cup cashews
12 oz silken tofu
2 oz pimentos
1 tbs lemon juice
1 tsp miso
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Chop the broccoli. Set aside about 4 cups of the smaller broccoli florets. For the stalks, trim and discard the hard outer skin from the large bases, but don't be too precise. It gets blended anyway.

In a stock pot, melt margarine. Add onions and saute until soft. Add the garlic, thyme and flour and saute until the garlic becomes fragrant. The flour will make a clumpy paste and that's fine. Stir in the broth, making sure the flour gets incorporated. Bring to a boil and add broccoli (but not the reserved florets). Simmer until the broccoli is soft.

Blend the soup in batches and return to the pot. Bring back to a boil, add reserved broccoli florets and simmer until the broccoli has softened, ten or fifteen minutes. While the broccoli cooks, blend the remaining (sauce) ingredients and stir into the soup. Serve when the broccoli is finished cooking.

8 Servings: 172 cal (9g fat, 16g carbs, 9g protein)

My Grandma Louise emigrated from Italy to Croatia in her youth. During WW1 her dad sent the kids on a boat to Oregon, to escape the war. She later moved to Everett, Washington and had a slew of kids that each had a slew more kids spread throughout the Puget Sound. Grandma was the patriarch of the family.

She lived to cook and always for a crowd. She passed her passion on to my dad, who passed on to me. My memories of her house are all food related. She always had a pot on the stove and some morsel to stuff down my throat. You were aloud to stop eating only when you were overcome by lethargy. Always a little more for a growing boy. Grandma's meat sauce was the highlight, always a treat.



Grandma Louise's Spaghetti
3 links seitan hamburger, or about 2 cups meatless ground
3 tbs olive oil
2 medium onions, VERY finely chopped
3 stalks celery, VERY finely chopped
1/2 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/8 tsp cloves
1/8 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbs sugar
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 6 oz can tomato paste
1 15 oz cans tomato sauce
1 28 oz cans whole, peeled tomatoes
1 lb spaghetti noodles

In a large pan, sauté the onion, celery, parsley and garlic until soft. Stir in the minced seitan hamburger. Add the spices and red wine. Cover and remove from heat for about five minutes.

Return to the stove, over medium-high heat. Add the tomatoes and their juice, then the tomato sauce and tomato paste. After adding each can, allow the sauce to return to a boil before adding the next can. Cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

6 Servings: 530 cal (10g fat, 87g carbs, 25g protein)

This is basically the same old sausage recipe seasoned to be more like hamburger. Since, I ate my specimen before I got a pic, I offer you a Meathead, instead =)



I like to mince the links to a crumble, but you can use a blender if you wish. I just don't like the texture as much. It works very well as a meatless ground, much better that store bought, and tasted great as a hot dog too. I've got it slated for three meals this week. I'm using ground 'beef' in my gramma's spaghetti, and a family recipe called Rusut [sic]. I think I'll also slice some and throw it in a stir fry, just to see how well it fares.

Seitan Hamburger
1/2 cup white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup cold beef flavored vegetable broth
1/4 cup tvp
1 tbs vegetable oil
1 tbs vegan 1orcestershire sauce
1 1/4 cups vital wheat gluten
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp browning sauce
1 tbs steak sauce

The process is similar to Andouille (illustrated here)

Combine the broth with the tvp and let sit until it softens. Get your steaming apparatus set up and bring water to a boil while you assemble the seitan. Tear 6 sheets of tin foil (about 5 inches each) and have ready.

To prepare seitan, mash beans with a fork in a flat-bottomed bowl. Add the wheat gluten and spices. Mix together with your fingers, then incorporate with the mashed beans into a coarse meal. It is not necessary to be thorough, just make sure the beans are not clumpy. Pour in the remaining ingredients and mix together with your fingers, until a moist dough is formed. Add a tablespoon or two of water or gluten if necessary.

Divide the dough into six equal parts. With each part, form into a log about 5 inches long. Roll the dough in foil and twist the ends. Place the wrapped 'links' into a steamer and steam for about 40 minutes, until the sausage is firm.

6 Servings: 185 cal (4g fat, 15g carbs, 24g protein)

I thought I'd take this time to do some overdue housekeeping. My trip down Veg*n boulevard started a couple years ago when I decided to 'cut down' on meat. I went vegetarian last year around Thanksgiving. My kids followed suit a few months later, a source of beaming pride by the way. I stopped eating cheese about 2 months ago and have been playing with eggless cooking about the same time.

My cooking has been vegan for almost the entire life of this blog. My language has not. I still think in terms of 'butter,' 'milk' and even 'sausage.' I've gotten some questions lately about whether I mean butter or Earth Balance, etc. Further, this could become confusing to someone wishing to become vegan. So I've decided to fix the lingo. From here on out my blog will read just as vegan as my cooking.

I'll be going back and editing past entries in the near future. My goal is to finish this month so I can blow two veganmofo entries on the subject. OK, two down and 18 to go.

I haven't used lard in years and years, or so I thought. Then I learned that the refrigerated pie crusts have lard in them. I hopped in the car and checked out my local grocery stores. Yep, every brand that every store carried had lard. How does the rest of the world synthesize the creamy goodness that is quiche with the rendering of pig parts? I won't understand.

That got me exploring for alternatives. The first obvious option is to make your own. I hear it's easy and I'll have to take your word for it. My wife will sometime make one for me though. The second is frozen. After some checking, many frozen pie crusts are animal free but most have trans fat. I've played with frozen hash browns, tossed in a bit of Earth Balance and that works relatively well. I've also been tossing around the idea of a hearty frittata, which I'll explore some more.



Anyway, you can find a thousand tofu quiches on the web and here's another one. It's basically my rendition of Susan's Quiche at fatfreevegan.com. Broccoli and mushroom make look and taste nice together and it's got a nice 'eggy' quality.

Broccoli Mushroom Quiche
1 frozen pie crust (watch for lard)
12 oz firm silken tofu
1/4 cup soy milk
1 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs nutritional yeast
1/4 tsp ground mustard
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Indian black salt (preferred) or salt
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 clove garlic
2 green onions, whites only, sliced thin

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Bring about 1/2 cup water to boil in a sauce pan. Add broccoli and mushrooms, cover and cook on high until the broccoli is bright green, 2 or 3 minutes. Remove cover and cook until the remaining liquid is steamed off. Add the garlic and green onions and cook for a minute longer, until the garlic becomes aromatic. Blend the remaining ingredients.

Spread the veggies across the bottom of the pie dish and pour the tofu over the top. Bake until the tofu is firm, and you can insert a butter knife and pull it out clean, about 45 minutes.